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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>OREGON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path o:connecttype="rect" gradientshapeok="t" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape style="Z-INDEX: -251658752; POSITION: absolute; MARGIN-TOP: 0px; WIDTH: 41.25pt; HEIGHT: 66.75pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px" id=_x0000_s1026 wrapcoords="-393 0 -393 21115 21600 21115 21600 0 -393 0" type="#_x0000_t75"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><v:imagedata o:title="" src="cid:HWVATKBQNTBR.clip_image001.png"></v:imagedata><?xml:namespace prefix = w ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" /><w:wrap type="tight"></w:wrap></FONT></FONT></v:shape><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold','sans-serif'"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>NEWS RELEASE<SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 2"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 2"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>June 12, 2013</SPAN><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p></o:p></B></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Contact:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Judy Rycraft Juntunen<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Tel. 541-752-5842<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Cell. 541-990-7020<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>e-mail. rycraftjuntunen@aol.com<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Association for Gravestone Studies Gives<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Awards to Three Oregon Recipients<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>The Association for Gravestone Studies’ prestigious Oakley Certificate of Merit will be awarded to two Oregon historic cemetery associations and one individual during the association’s annual conference at Willamette University on Saturday, June 22 at the annual banquet.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Receiving the awards will be the Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery, Luper Cemetery, Inc. and Dirk Siedlecki, a commissioner on the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries and president of the Friends of Jacksonville Cemetery.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>The Oakley Award is presented to individuals and groups that have helped to advance the mission of the Association.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Founded in 1977, the Association for Gravestone Studies fosters the appreciation of the cultural significance of gravestones of all periods and styles and burying grounds through study and preservation.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>The <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery</B> is a volunteer organization created in Portland after a rash of vandalism at the cemetery.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Its 2,000 members are dedicated to education, preservation and restoration for the area’s oldest cemetery and the largest of 14 pioneer cemeteries managed by Metro regional government.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Luper Cemetery</B> is an historic pioneer cemetery located in a remote setting in Lane County.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>During the past four years, volunteers have worked to overcome its history of vandalism, degradation by weather and extreme neglect. Faced in the fall of 2009 with 90 percent of the headstones needing some level of restoration and no money, the Luper group found new financial, physical and technical assistance from Musgrove Family Mortuary, Roberts Surveying, the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, Donovan and Associates, and dozens of individuals. Volunteers have changed the long-neglected cemetery from a forgotten place to a well-maintained cemetery.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Dirk Siedlecki</B> is serving his second term on the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>His activity includes organizing informal meetings of people working with Southern Oregon historic cemeteries to share information and gather data about the needs of the cemeteries, training volunteers to repair grave markers and drafting the commission’s educational bulletins and position papers.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As president of the Friends of Jacksonville Cemetery he has helped establish procedures and programs that have created a dedicated volunteer organization with strong community support. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>More information about the Association for Gravestone Studies is available at </FONT></SPAN><A href="http://www.gravestonestudies.org/"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT color=#0000ff size=3>www.gravestonestudies.org</FONT></SPAN></A><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3> . Its 36<SUP>th</SUP> annual conference takes place June 18-23 in Salem.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #c8e0d8" face="Gill Sans MT">Kuri Gill</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #c8e0d8" face="Gill Sans MT">Oregon Heritage</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #c8e0d8" face="Gill Sans MT">725 Summer St. NE, Suite C</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #c8e0d8" face="Gill Sans MT">Salem, OR 97301-1266</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #c8e0d8" face="Gill Sans MT">(503) 986-0685</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #c8e0d8" face="Gill Sans MT">(503) 986-0793 (fax)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #c8e0d8" face="Gill Sans MT"><A href="mailto:kuri.gill@state.or.us">kuri.gill@state.or.us</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #c8e0d8" face="Gill Sans MT"><A href="http://www.oregonheritage.org/">www.oregonheritage.org</A></FONT></DIV>
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